Markram confident South Africa can counter Pakistan’s spin in second Test

RAWALPINDI: South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram has expressed confidence in his side’s ability to tackle Pakistan’s spin attack and bounce back in the second Test, set to be played tomorrow at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Markram praised the return of Keshav Maharaj, who missed the first Test in Lahore.

“Kesh is available, that’s why he’s here. It’s great to have him back in the camp — he brings lots of experience and a really good skill set as well,” Markram said.

“For us, it’s very important to try and level the series, and we’re looking forward to this game starting tomorrow,” he added.

South Africa struggled against Pakistan’s spin in the first Test at the Gaddafi Stadium, with Noman Ali taking a ten-wicket haul and troubling the Proteas’ batters throughout the match.

The opening batter admitted that he is ready to face more spin and that his team has devised plans to counter the home side’s spinners.

“We’re expecting more spin; the wicket looks pretty good to the eye, but we’ve expected these types of conditions from day one. It’s about us having done some homework post that first game and coming up with new plans to hopefully counter that,” he explained.

On his batting, Markram highlighted the importance of net practice and said he is in good shape to contribute vital runs.

“I’ve been feeling good, spending time in the nets trying to come up with ideas that suit my game in these conditions. I feel like I’m mentally in a really good space and very hungry to contribute and lead from the front,” he said.

The 31-year-old remained confident about his side’s chances of avoiding a 2-0 series loss.

“When you get to spinning conditions, the guessing game is always how long till it really starts to spin exaggeratedly, so we’ll have to assess that as quickly as we can,” he stated.

"We know how this game works — it doesn’t always come off — but I’ll always live and die with my heart on my sleeve and give it a good fight,” he concluded.